At A Glance

Hinge impresses from the first glance with its “the dating app designed to be deleted” motto. Developed for millennials looking for long-term relationships rather than hookups, it proposes itself as a breath of fresh air for singles who want to spend more time connecting with like-minded people rather than spending ages swiping through profiles. It’s been around since 2012, and it’s safe to say this app is one of Tinder’s fiercest competitors.

Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps. It has managed to pull a massive user pool and bagging millions of users. Since 2012, Tinder has been the reason for many relationships across the world. The app allows users to find lovers, friendship, marriage partners, and eternal love. It is currently available in over 190 countries and translated in over 34 languages. The site welcomes singles of all ages looking for hookups and casual dating.

How to Choose a Dating App

Dating apps can serve many purposes. You can sign up for casual dating, to have a one night stand while you’re on a business trip, or to find the love of your life. Thus, choosing a dating app should start with deciding what you want to use it for.

Since there are dozens of dating apps out there, deciding what you’re after will surely help you trim down options.

For instance, Tinder is a great choice if you’re looking for casual dating and one night stands, but you may find it difficult to find long-term romance through this site.

Hinge, on the other hand, is a much better choice if you’re after a long-term relationship. Using a different policy than Tinder, Hinge aims to help people connect outside the dating platform instead of focusing on making “matches.”

Which is the best dating app is ultimately down to you; however, knowing what to expect from any of these services is crucial for making the right choice.

Picking is not always easy, though; that’s why I decided to make a quick side-by-side comparison of these two popular services. Whether you’re after a hookup or long-term romance, let’s see who wins in the Hinge vs. Tinder battle.

Availability

Both Hinge and Tinder have been around since 2012, but each platform developed in a very different way. They both address millennials and, overall, attract younger singles. However, Tinder has managed to expand in over 190 countries and is translated in over 34 languages.

Hinge, on the other hand, is available in four countries and two continents. Needless to say, Tinder wins the first round.

Popularity

As mentioned above, Hinge and Tinder are two dating apps developed for the same target pool, namely millennials and younger singles. Most users on both platforms have ages between 18 and 32, with the vast majority being in the 24-30 age group.

It is widely known that people that age usually look after casual dating rather than long-term commitment; therefore, it’s quite easy to understand why Hinge has only 5 million monthly visits compared to Tinder’s 50 million.

Both platforms are responsible for the creation of many couples and even for some marriages, but Tinder is undoubtedly much more popular.

Sign-up Process

When it comes to signing up, both apps focus on making the process as easy and smooth as possible.

Hinge was born as a Facebook app and still allows its members to sign up via Facebook. Since 2019, the platform was purchased by Match, and it now allows signing up with your phone number.

This is a great option for those who don’t want to use social media for this purpose and also for members who don’t use Facebook at all.

Once you’ve created an account, the platform will require you to verify your phone number and upload a minimum of six pictures, which could put off some users. A big white point goes to Hinge for allowing you to choose what information you want to display on your profile.

Tinder also allows you to sign up with Facebook or a phone number, but the app also permits registering with your email alone. Once signed up, you can either verify your email or phone number to get things rolling.

Unlike Hinge, Tinder doesn’t require you to upload a full album. One photo is enough for you to start swiping.

With this in mind, Tinder wins this round! At this stage, it’s safe to call it 0-3 for Tinder.

Features

Hinge stands out with a roulette-type display of matches, and you’re limited to sending a maximum of 10 daily likes. When liking a profile, you have to choose what exactly you like about it, and all matches will be displayed based on compatibility.

For this reason, it is recommended to fill in your full profile before you start browsing.

Liking profiles and sending messages is free, but the app only lets you chat with other members if you liked their profile, and they liked yours. There is no such thing as free browsing and instant messaging to whoever you want to contact.

This method was implemented specifically to help you find the best match for a long-term relationship, but it can easily become annoying.

Two awesome features are Who Liked Me and We Met. The former lets you browse through the profiles who liked you, so you can like them back. If you’re a free member, you’ll have to actually open the profiles one by one to see the pictures, or you could opt for a paid plan to see clear thumbnails of those who liked you.

We Met is a feature that lets you provide private feedback about your date. This comes as a novelty in the dating world, and it’s undoubtedly one of the most awesome characteristics of the website, that helps you keep the dating community safer.

This feature also helps Hinge recommend better matches and encourage you to get off the app, based on your answers.

Tinder also packs a wide variety of features designed to make it more fun to use. Undoubtedly, the service is known for its profile swiping, a hot-or-not type of game that lets you find matches based on whether you like or dismiss the profiles.

Just like Hinge, Tinder is free to use, and you can communicate with others without paying a dime. Paid features are the cherry on top of the cake.

One of them is a profile booster that increases your chances of finding a match. The feature boosts you on top of the search for half an hour and is a great feature to use when you’re out and about and want to share a coffee with someone.

The Superlike is another awesome feature you can use if you really like a profile and want to draw the attention.

A nice feature compared with Hinge is Rewind that lets you unlike or returns to a previous profile if you accidentally swiped past it.

Last but not least, the Top Picks feature helps you find a perfect match by simply checking the suggestions made by the platforms. These picks are chosen based on the information provided in your profile, so you’d better fill it inaccurately if you want to receive relevant suggestions.

Since both platforms come with a bunch of interesting features that serve different purposes, I’m gonna call this a tie.

Quality of Matches

Hinge didn’t score too many points so far. With a 2-0 for Tinder and a tie, the “dating app to be deleted” comes second by now. However, things are about to take a turn for the better when considering the quality of matches.

Hinge is designed for people looking for a long-term relationship. It doesn’t have a myriad of features, but all those that are present focus on getting you off the app and into the real world as quickly as possible. You’re likely to find people with similar interests here, and there are high chances you’ll even find the love of your life.

Tinder focuses on helping people hookup. The platform doesn’t focus on long-term romance, and even if it is responsible for some marriages, most people on Tinder are there for casual dating or uncommitted sex.

It sounds rough, but the truth is that many young singles don’t want to end up in a committed relationship just yet, so the platform is perfect for them.

Considering the overall quality of matches, though, Hinge undoubtedly takes the lead and starts to rebalance the situation. The score is now 1-3 for Tinder. Well done Hinge! At least during this round.

Aesthetics and Interface

One of the main features to consider when choosing a dating platform is the aesthetics and ease of use. The former is not truly important, but it can make or break the deal. Indeed, dating apps looking like something coming from the 90s don’t really inspire trust, so most quality users tend to look elsewhere.

The ease of use is equally important, especially if you don’t want to spend ages figuring out how to use the dating app.

Considering both features, it’s easy to see that both Hinge and Tinder have clean aesthetics that appeal to younger audiences.

Hinge has a very intuitive interface too. Few buttons and easily accessible menu let you move from one tab to another without worries. It is minimalist and easy to learn, as the platform’s main purpose is that of facilitating communication.

Tinder also has a highly attractive interface, just as inspiring as Hinge’s. However, this dating app tends to be a little less intuitive.

Indeed, you’ll need some time to figure out how it works, which is okay in the end. Nevertheless, Hinge wins this round.

Pricing

With the odds starting to look brighter for Hinge, it’s time to talk about pricing. The first thing to know is that both are free.

You can successfully use both Hinge and Tinder to find a match. As you could expect from a dating service, though, both platforms have paid plans too.

Hinge has only one paid tiers, called Hinge Preferred, with prices starting at $9.99 per month. Tinder’s paid plans are Tinder Gold and Tinder Plus. Even the cheapest plan on Tinder is more expensive than Hinge’s plan, but the nice thing is that both apps give you the possibility to opt for one-month paid membership plans.

Another nice thing is that Tinder divides the plans and offers cheaper options to members 28 years old or younger.

Since Hinge is cheaper anyway, the app wins another round! Ladies and gents, it’s 3-3 now! Wow… what an unexpected turn!

Who Is It For?

The last thing I consider when comparing dating apps is the platform’s approach to the LGBTQ community. And I’m pleased to say both Hinge and Tinder welcome members from all walks of life. Whether you’re straight or have other sexual views, you can surely find a match on either platform.

Hinge even shows its LGBTQ support through cute videos on its home page, which is simply awesome.

Since both platforms accept members from all walks of life, this round is a tie.

And The Winner Is…

Ladies and gents, I’m astonished. This is the first time I run a side-by-side comparison between two dating apps and have a perfect tie.

Hinge is a great choice for younger singles looking for a long-term relationship. The app is developed to get you out of it and into real life as quickly as possible. As it says, it’s made to be deleted, and there are high chances you’ll delete it quite quick.

Tinder focuses on helping you find casual dates or hookups wherever you are. It uses geolocation to pin down your position on a map and shows you matches nearby; whether you’re at home or on a business trip, this app is perfect for connecting with singles near you.

Both apps claim you can use them to find friends, too, but let’s be honest for a moment and admit that nobody will ever use Hinge or Tinder for such a purpose.

With this in mind, what is the best between the two is ultimately down to you.

So, what do you say? Would you download Hinge or Tinder? Are you looking for a hookup or long-term romance?

Tell me in a comment below; I’d love to hear from you.

And before you go, don’t forget to share this article. Your single friends will undoubtedly thank you.

As a pragmatic woman, Roxana didn't focus much on the matters of heart until falling head over hills for the wrong guy. After a devastating relationship, she studied the dynamics of dating and man's behavior to understand what went wrong. Her path drifted from science to letters, with the aim to share her knowledge with other women in need. She is now a contributor to Her Aspiration.